This invention relates to a remote game apparatus for enabling players present at remote places from each other to easily play the game through a common communication network like a telephone line.
There exist various games such as chess, Go, and cards, which use a common game board and game pieces alternately moved by two oposite players present at the game board. In order to remove the limitation that the players must get together at the same place for playing these games, game systems have been proposed in which game apparatus placed remotely from each other are connected by common communication lines, and the movements of game pieces operated by the players are communicated to each other.
In such a game system, the information of the moved arrangement of a game piece communicated from one apparatus to another apparatus is displayed on the latter apparatus. By watching the display, the player of the latter apparatus reproduces the moved arrangement of a game piece and then considers a next motion and inputs the new movements of his game piece. This moved arrangement of a game piece is detected by the detecting means and then communicated. In such a manner the game advances.
While the reproduction of the movement of a game piece is performed by the player in the manner mentioned above, the movement of the reproduction of a game piece must not be mistaken. If the error of reproduction occurs by any chance, the arrangements of the game pieces of the apparatus placed at remote places are not in accord. Under such a condition, the game cannot be advanced. Accordingly, in the remote game system, the communication of only the information relating to the moved arrangement of game pieces sometimes causes such a situation that the advancement of the game becomes impossible due to an incorrect reproduction caused by a player.